» Self Storage Auctions
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Self Storage Auctions – Find TreasureBy admin on June 17, 2010 | No Comments
Nowadays, people are looking for ways to make extra money. Spending money is, in other words, much harder to come by. Chances are that you are buying fewer DVDs, buying cheaper food, and generally looking around for good ways to save yourself some extra money at the end of the month. Well, if you find that you have a little bit of free time to spare, then you may decide to head out to a few self storage auctions to make yourself a little bit of extra cash. While you are going to have to develop some new skills to succeed at these auctions, you are going to find that they are a great way to make some extra money once you get good at what you are doing.
First and foremost, reader, you are never going to want to forget to bring your money in cash. When you when an auction on your self storage unit, your property manager is going to want the money right there, on the spot. If you are looking for big ticket items, then you are going to want to bring several thousand dollars with you in a safe. If you are not looking to spend quite that much money, then you should show up with three or four hundred dollars and limit yourself to smaller, less valuable units. It is better to start out this way, anyway. You need to get your feet wet before you can really start to drop some change at these auctions.
Moving on, reader, you are always going to want to be sure that you are bringing a flashlight with you to these auctions. Central to your success, here, is your ability to be able to see the items that are in the very back of the unit. Typically speaking, the biggest, heaviest, and most valuable items are going to be loaded into the unit first, meaning that you are going to find them in the back of the unit, behind all of the other stuff. If you cannot see back there, then you are not going to be able to make a very educated bid on that unit. By bringing a flashlight along with you, you guarantee that you are going to have a competitive advantage.
Finally, reader, you are going to want to be sure that you keep your eyes peeled for all of the big ticket items. What are these, you might ask? Simple. Keep an eye out for tool boxes, as their contents are going to fetch you a pretty penny. Also, keep an eye out for gun chests, safes, and these sorts of things. There is no telling what they are going to contain. Beware the self storage units that are stuffed with boxes and random odds and ends, as they are probably not hiding any valuable items. In my experience, I have found that the neat, organized units are the ones that you want to target, not the super messy ones that are in shambles.
While you are going to have to sink some money into these auctions before you get good at them, you are going to find that they are great way to make some extra money when you are strapped for cash. Like anything else, you have to put your practice hours in before you get really good.
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Self Storage Auction TipsBy admin on January 28, 2010 | No Comments
In these difficult economic times, you might be looking around for a good way to make a little bit of extra spending money. And really, there are a lot of ways in which you might set about accomplishing this. Of course, one of the best ways that you can make yourself a few extra dollars is by attending a few self storage auctions. Sure, this may seem a little bit complicated at first, but once you begin to get your feet wet, you are going to realize that there is not much that goes into making a few extra dollars at your local self storage auctions. Simply follow the advice that you find here, and you are going to be well along your way before you even know it.
There is something very important that you have to know before you begin to attend your local self storage auctions. You absolutely have to show up with a truck. If you do not show up with a truck, you are going to get yourself into a world of pain. Indeed, typically speaking, you are only going to be given twenty four hours to clear the unit that you win in your auction. If you happen to win a five by ten or a five by five, then this may not be much of a task at all. If, however, you end up winning something like a ten by thirty garage style unit, then chances are that you are going to have quite a lot of stuff to get out of that unit. By bringing a truck with you, you guarantee that you are going to be able to clear the unit out within the time frame that you are given by the property managers. You might even consider showing up with a moving truck if you know that you are going to be bidding on the larger units.
The second bit of advice, here, is to be sure that you bring cash. Typically speaking, property managers are not going to accept checks or credit cards when it comes down to auctioned units. Be sure that you show up with at least a few hundred dollars in cash. If you think that you might be spending a bit more than that, then you are going to want to be sure that you quickly get an official check from your bank when you win the auction. The last thing that you are going to want to do, here, is win a unit and then fail to make an appropriate payment.
Finally, here, you are going to want to be sure that you are showing up at self storage auctions with a clear understanding of your strategy. The last thing that you are going to want to do, here, is allow yourself to be swept up in the competition of the thing. Do not bid on a unit simply because you want to beat someone else. Only bid on units that are going to make you a profit, and only bid when you think that your bid does not exceed the value of the contents of the unit. Sure, this advice may seem a bit elementary, but it may very way save you from spending way too much money on a unit that catches your eye.
Self storage auctions are a great way to make a few extra bucks. Simply be sure that you know what you are doing when you show up, as you are going to find that your competition can get rather fierce. With a little bit of strategy, though, you can hang with all of the big guys.
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I’m Not ThereBy Natalie Thomas, blog manager on June 14, 2006 | No Comments
PhoneSmart operator Chris Hires addresses and problem we must deal with in the PhoneSmart call center
Welcome to the PhoneSmart property management blog, the ins and outs of property and commercial management.
Technology is a funny thing. It allows people like me to sell a storage unit to a person who is thousands of miles away (currently, the farthest I’ve made a sale is Hawaii, but I’m hoping we pick up some facilities in China soon…). It allows me to communicate with a person as though they are standing in front of me, and it allows you to read this blog. Unfortunately, technology does not allow me to be at the actual property that the customer has called (that is, unless they have called the one property where we happen to be located). This problem of not actually being there on the property creates some interesting scenarios.“No ma’am, I’m not there at the facility, I’m at a sister facility. You got transferred to me because they were unable to get to the phone in the office.”
“Ok Chris, I know this isn’t your fault, but that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Sometimes people are shocked that you aren’t there. “Yes she is in the office. No, she’s not available. No, I can’t just go tell her something for you, I’m not there.” There’s a certain amount of trust that comes with talking to someone on the telephone. You assume that because you dialed the correct number that you have been connected through the great and mysterious electronic superhighway to the actual location. This is just supposed to be how it works. So when a person in Los Angeles calls a facility down the street from their house, and then realizes that they are not speaking to Jim Storeowner but rather a 20 year old kid in Missouri who presumes to know the answer to every question they have about the facility in LA, this seems to mess with peoples’ heads. It’s sort of like finding out about Santa Claus. Do you feel deceived? Yes. Do you still get presents? Yes. So just get over it, so I can sell you a unit and we both get what we want. Yeah, I’m in Missouri, but I’m a smart guy and I’ve got this computer that tells me basically everything I would need to know about the facility you’ve called. Well, except about the trucks. I have no information about those.…Or the boxes.
…Also I have no idea what side of the street it’s on.
…And no, I can’t look at your bill and tell you how much you owe.
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